A C.U. is required when an industrial or commercial building is erected, altered or enlarged, or an existing building goes through a change of occupant, name or type of business.

Please note the difference between a C.U. and an Occupational License (O.L.) -- The Certificate of Use allows for the occupancy of the structure as well as certifying that the use is permitted. An Occupational License is a tax on the business activity. After a C.U. has been issued, you may apply for the O.L., for O.L. details, contact the Tax Collector's office.

Prior to opening any business in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, a Certificate of Use (also called a C.U. or zoning permit) must be obtained.

The Certificate of Use assures that the business is allowed in the zoning district where it is located. It also verifies that the structure was built for the proposed type of business.

If interior alterations or other construction requiring a permit has been issued, the construction must be completed, and all final inspections must be obtained prior to application for the Certificate of Occupancy which is issued by the Building Department and the Certificate of Use.

To apply for a Certificate of Use for a retail or wholesale plant nursery or tree nursery, submit a completed C.U. application form and a detailed site plan showing the legal description of the property, the size and dimensions of the property, the street(s) upon which the property is located, all structures, setbacks, parking spaces, the plant sales area and whether the plants are in pots or in the ground, or both. Additionally, the address and folio number of the property must be provided on the plan. If the property is vacant, see Zoning Plans Processing at the Miami-Dade Permitting and Inspection Center to have an address assigned to the site.

Required setbacks pursuant to Sections 33-279 and 33-282, Miami-Dade Zoning Code: Horticultural nursery buildings shall comply with accessory building setbacks, except that no minimum spacing need be provided between such structures on the same property and except that agricultural shade houses may be constructed to within 30' of the front property line. The minimum setbacks for accessory buildings are 75' from the front property line, 7 1/2' from the rear property line, 20' between buildings, 20' from interior side property lines, and 30' from a side street property line.

The application is reviewed to ensure that the type of business is permitted in the zoning district where it will be located. If the business activity is not allowed there, the application will be rejected. If the business is allowed on the property, the application will be processed on the computer.

Affidavits, declarations or other forms may be required, depending on the type of business proposed, and depending on the zoning classification of the property. In some instances, plans may be required.

All businesses must be reviewed by DERM (the Department of Environmental Resources Management) which is  located at the Miami Dade Permitting and Inspection Center.

Some businesses have to be inspected before a C.U. can be issued. These inspections are completed within two days from the day requested, and may include electrical, mechanical, plumbing, fire, building and zoning inspections.

For most businesses, the C.U. is issued the same day and may take one to two hours for processing, if walked through in person.

Mailed and faxed applications require additional time as they are forwarded to DERM and other offices as needed. These applications take four to five days, and require follow up by the applicant.

Inspections, if needed, take approximately three days.

Tracking your application: Once the application is loaded into the computer system, a call to the informational voice response system will reveal the status of the application. The assigned C.U. process number is required to access the system at 305-271-1242. Listen to the easy to follow instructions. Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish, then Press 4, then 2 for Certificate of Use Information.

Amounts in excess of $20.00 must be paid by check or money order. In most cases, fees for the C.U. are based on the square footage of the area to be occupied plus a $40 DERM fee and a 6% concurrency fee.

The base fee is assessed at a rate of three cents per square foot. There is a minimum of $108 and a maximum of $600.

The 6% concurrency fee is not applicable for transfers of C.U.s to new business owners or for C.U.s issued based on a building permit.

A $30 fee is charged for each inspection required, except fire inspections.

Most C.U.s are issued on a permanent basis. If the business does not move, expand, change ownership, name or business activity, the Certificate remains valid. Some Certificates of Use are required by Code or zoning resolution to be renewed annually.

If the structure is substantially or partially complete, and is missing only minor items for final inspection, a structure may be occupied under a temporary C.U. A temporary C.U. is valid for a maximum of 90 days.